He could hardly believe what she was saying—or that she was saying it. For a moment he couldn’t speak, so great was his fear that he had misheard or misunderstood. And then he felt relief surge through his body, driving out the tension and pain of moments earlier.
He reached for her blindly, his hands curving around her arms. ‘I don’t want you to marry Airlie, and I don’t want this to end just yet either.’ His fingers tightened, anchoring her to him. ‘There’s no reason we can’t carry on as we are for a month or two.’
Aside from his job, his home and countless meetings with producers and actors…
Heart thumping, he pushed the thought away. He would fly back to the States as and when it was necessary.
His eyes locked with hers. ‘I can make that happen. If that’s what you want. And after that—’
She put her mouth against his, her soft lips breathing warmth and hope. ‘That’s what I want.’
He felt his heart swell. There was no doubt in her voice or her face.
And so, not wanting anything to change the certainty of the moment, he pushed her back onto the bed and lowered his body to hers.
CHAPTER TEN
‘OH, NIA, THANK GOODNESS you’re here.’ Darting across the drawing room, Diane kissed Nia on both cheeks and, hooking her arm, practically towed her towards a sofa. ‘Come and sit down with me.’ She patted the cushion and then turned to her husband. ‘Tom, tell Molly we’ll have coffee now.’
Grinning, Tom saluted. ‘Yes, ma’am.’ He winked at Nia and then pulled her into a squeezing embrace. ‘She’s champing at the bit to hear about the ball.’
Diane nodded. ‘I want you to tell me everything. And I want to see some photos.’
Nia frowned. ‘I thought Farlan sent you some?’
‘He did.’ A deep, familiar voice cut into the conversation. ‘But apparently they didn’t meet requirements.’
She felt her heartbeat accelerate, and her skin felt suddenly too hot and tight. Farlan had followed Tom into the room and, glancing over at him, she felt heat crackle down her spine.
Tom and Diane had arrived back from Dublin late last night.
Even though she and Farlan had both agreed to extend their ‘arrangement’, neither of them had wanted to say anything to Tom and Diane, so Farlan had waited until they’d gone to bed before making his way down the drive to the gardener’s cottage.
A little bubble of happiness rose up and popped inside her chest. She had been looking out for him from her bedroom, and when he’d caught sight of her he had climbed up the front wall to her open window.
His lips had been cold from the outside air, but his kiss had been hotly passionate. And what had followed had been equally passionate—both an admission of their longing and an affirmation of what they had decided in the early hours of the morning in his guest room after the ball.
He had got up early this morning, grumbling about having to leave her, and after he had gone she had rolled over in bed, pressing herself into the heat left by his body, breathing in the intimate scent of him.
And
now he was dropping into the armchair beside her sofa. Real. Warm. His green eyes gleaming as they met hers.
‘Good morning, Lady Antonia. Did you sleep well?’
His leg brushed against hers and she felt fingers of heat slide over her skin. She didn’t think she had ever wanted anyone or anything more than she wanted Farlan in this moment.
‘Yes, I did, thank you. And you?’
‘On and off,’ he said softly. ‘I had to keep changing position.’
As Diane looked up, Nia felt her face grow warm.
Fortunately Molly chose that moment to bring in the coffee, and a delectable array of shortbread and ginger biscuits.
‘So what was wrong with Farlan’s photos?’ asked Nia, after Molly had left.
Diane rolled her eyes. ‘I’ll show you.’ She pulled out her phone. ‘This is why you don’t ask a man to take photos at a ball.’